Speed was the goal Saturday at the Home Run Easter Egg Hunt at Vince Genna Stadium in Bend.

With baskets in hand, hundreds of children ran as fast as they could across the ballpark’s outfield to collect the plastic eggs, filled with small candies and toys. Seconds later, the field was empty, and baskets were full of eggs.

The hunt, put on by the Bend Elks baseball team with Wildhorse Harley-Davidson, was split up into two age groups. Children 6 and younger went first and quickly swooped up the 10,000 eggs waiting for them on the grass. An hour later, children 7 and older, collected from a fresh batch of 10,000 eggs.

The younger group was so eager to start, the children ran for the eggs minutes before the announcer was ready to tell them to go. The false start only meant the children filled their baskets sooner than expected.

“I’m going to run and get them,” 4-year-old Jace Kellogg said before the hunt.

His mother, Staci Kellogg, was impressed with how many eggs were on the grass. Her son has done Easter eggs hunts before, but not one with as many children and eggs, she said.

“I don’t know if we brought a big enough basket,” she said.

Staci Kellogg, who works at Bend Pet Express, said she will switch gears on Sunday to an Easter egg hunt for dogs at the east-side pet shop.

Between the two hunts at the ballfield Saturday, children were able to jump in a bouncy house, get their faces painted and meet the Easter Bunny.

Bend resident Tori Dickerson came to the event with her 3-year-old son Kaysen. She said her son looks forward to Easter and was thrilled to meet the Easter Bunny. He even gave the bunny a high five.

Moments before the hunt, Kaysen said he would run with, “super cat speed,” just like his favorite characters in the cartoon, “PJ Masks.”

“He loves ‘PJ Masks,’” his mother said. “He’s having a good time.”

Bend couple Jeff and Kristin Hale brought their two children, 6-year-old Hayden and 2-year-old Ella, to the Easter egg hunt.

Hayden is an experienced Easter egg hunter and had a plan. He would run into the middle of the field and then work his way back to his parents.

“That’s what he did last year,” his father said. “He’s pretty fast. He brought his running shoes.”

Jeff Hale, a health insurance agent, said his family plans to attend church for Easter Sunday and then have brunch at the Brasada Ranch, where another Easter egg hunt will be held.

After such a successful hunt Saturday, Hayden and Ella will be ready to hunt again Sunday.

“This one is the warm-up,” Hale joked.

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com